Automation and technological convenience have transformed previously active and ambulatory persons across the globe into increasingly sedentary beings. This trend is particularly prevalent in the workplace, where employees are often required to spend up to 8 hours a day seated at a desk, with their only substantial physical activity consisting of an occasional trip to the water cooler. When coupled with a diet of high calorie soft drinks and energy-dense, processed foods, increasingly sedentary lifestyles have led to an obesity epidemic, particularly in countries such as the United States. Many have proposed methods and devices to increase physical activity in the workplace. Few, however, have seen widespread adoption or commercial success.
For example, an exercise desk, at which the user works while walking on a treadmill, has been described by Densmore (U.S. Pat. No. 5,813,947). However, the height of the desk is not adjustable, and thus it cannot safely accommodate users of different heights. In addition, walking on a treadmill while performing anything but the simplest of office tasks is impractical. The up and down motion created by walking destabilizes the upper torso, substantially impairing fine motor coordination and making it difficult to write or type.
Due to the nature of walking on a treadmill, it is difficult to maintain a consistent distance from the desk, further increasing the difficulty of office tasks and requiring additional cognitive resources to constantly adjust his or her walking speed. The user must also concern him or herself with balancing and with avoiding tripping on the treadmill. These issues are only exacerbated when the incline of the treadmill is increased. Furthermore, it is unreasonable to require the user to stand and walk for an entire workday; many are unable to do so without joint soreness or unacceptable levels of perspiration. Consequently, the design fails to provide an exercise which can be sustained throughout the workday. Finally, because the intensity of exercise cannot be increased without increasing walking speed or increasing the incline, the design of Densmore cannot effectively accommodate users of different fitness levels.
The exercise devices described by Neff (US App. 2005/0054492) and Edelson (U.S. Pat. No. 5,257,701) suffer from similar shortcomings. Edelson describes a stationary bicycle operated at a desk. However, operation of a stationary bicycle produces an abrupt up and down motion of the legs, which, similar to the operation of a treadmill, destabilizes the upper torso. Operation of the stationary bicycle also prevents movement of the seat to a comfortable position with respect to the edge of the desk. Should the user be positioned too close to the desk, the knees are likely to collide with the bottom of the desk. Others have remedied this issue by raising the height of the desk, to prevent such collisions; however, raising the height of the desk to an uncomfortable position is impractical for users who wish to operate the exercise device for up to 8 hours a day. Finally, the stationary bicycle described by Edelson requires the user to grasp handles in order to prevent being propelled away from the desk, preventing the user from accomplishing work tasks which utilize the user's hands.